


Company

by hanjizoes



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2014-02-26
Packaged: 2018-01-13 21:08:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1240852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanjizoes/pseuds/hanjizoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Petra and Auruo have both been sent to the afterlife with a million thoughts running through their heads but one thing stands out the most: why is this place so empty? A fantasia one-shot that I hope you all enjoy in whatever painful way it might appeal to you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Company

_They’d always assumed it would be a painful process, one that agonized them until they wished there nothing else to feel but utter emptiness. But that’s not what they got and it’s not what they expected. Their souls passed on like the flutter of the gentlest of feathers, as soft as the wisp of a quiet breeze. It was their passing on from their tiresome life of titan killing to blinding white lights, the afterlife of something else they couldn’t imagine._

Petra Ral didn’t know what to think of it. She expected a dark void as hallow as the black hole in the sky, she didn’t think she’d be standing on a white pavement of what might’ve been her old home. It was a hot rushing feeling, an ache in her neck, as if the snap that had killed her could still be felt. But she knew it was all in her head. There was nothing to feel here, for her life was over and death had washed over her in such a short amount of time. Immediately, as her feet tapped the tiled white floor, she was nursing the regret that was etched inside her heart. _How can you have a heart if you’re dead?_ She asked herself. But nonetheless she felt something deep inside, a gut-wrenching feeling that she couldn’t push away. It wrapped around her like a blanket, crushing her insides, and breaking whatever bones she had left. Petra felt like a lightweight, like a bird with no feathers, exposed and naked. It took her a while to realize she was all alone. Her parents were both alive and well, expecting her return, expecting insurmountable things from their courageous daughter. But all they would get was an empty body of what used to be their pride and joy. 

Auruo Bossard had his mouth wide open, as it was when his life was taken away from him. If he thought hard enough he could still feel the anger that boiled inside of him when he made his way to the Female Titan. It was an anger that couldn’t be erased by death but something that dragged on even when your life was no longer hanging in the balance of the earth’s surface. Auruo stood on a wooden porch, a rocking chair was at his right hand side, a broken table was at his left. It seemed vaguely familiar, a nostalgic feeling nudged him in the back of his mind, but looking at everything now, it was unsurprisingly empty. He could see a field of grass and some rosebushes growing in the distance, at least it used to look like that the last time he’d seen his family.  _I won’t be seeing them again, will I?_ He asked himself. Of course it was a rhetorical question, because as Auruo looked around his familiar surrounding he realized he was all alone. The world would drift and move on without him and he would be stuck in this white space of nothing, waiting for someone to show up.

Petra huddled in a corner, any corner she could find, and clenched to her skin so tightly she could almost feel herself drawing blood. Except there was no blood to draw or any physical pain to sense around here, the damage had already been done. She tried to push back the memory of her final moments as best as she could but she could still feel the adrenaline that pumped through her veins as she fought the Female Titan. She knew she’d died honorably, fighting for Eren’s life, and for mankind’s. But she couldn’t help but feel like her life was limited to violent actions and nothing more, and she instantly regretting feeling this way. She was proud to be a part of the special ops, at least she  _used_  to be proud, and she wouldn’t have minded sticking around there for a while longer. What annoyed her the most, and what tugged at the corners of her dead brain, was not being able to witness humanity’s victory. She would never get to see the titan’s extinction, if that was ever possible, but she still hoped that that would happen someday. Petra got up, realizing her hair was a tangled mess, she patted it down, as if someone was there to witness it. She quickly put her hands back to her sides, letting them hang there, she felt like a rag doll, she assumed she even looked like one. The bones in her body were almost non-existent, as if the flesh that built up her figure was replaced with cotton and her bones were nothing but toothpicks. Petra always thought about the afterlife, of course none of her fellow squad members ever believed in that, or even believed in God for that matter, but she had held on to that bulb of hope, waiting for the door to her next life. She wasn’t disappointed and she wasn’t thrilled either. It was a bland, sick and painful feeling. She’d expected crowds of people, strangers and relatives, people she wanted to know and people she didn’t, she wanted to see all her fellow squad members lined up to greet her with open arms.  _You don’t always get what you want._ That thought lingered in Petra’s mind, it was the only thought that she constantly had in her head, while she was killing titans, when she was training, when she ate with Levi and the rest of the special ops.  _So long to the days of recurring thoughts,_ and as that sentence whisked around her brain she saw the hint of a figure in the distance. Maybe, possibly, someone she knew. 

Auruo couldn’t stand to sit in the same place longer than he needed to. The sight of the rocking chair and wooden porch didn’t help him either. He wished he was in the company of someone else, someone he knew, someone he could talk to without feeling ashamed.  _Petra._ That name was an echo in the air, screaming and shouting at him. Something gripped him by the shoulders and yelled in his face,  _find Petra,_ the voice said. And without even thinking about it Auruo ran, aimlessly and willingly, but he didn’t know where he was even going. He thought he’d run out of breath or his lungs would suddenly collapse. Until it occurred to him that he was running to nowhere, running to nothing. His life was already gone. Petra wasn’t here and he was all alone. Auruo turned around only to find himself staring at a rocking chair and a broken table. He grunted and fell to the floor, wallowing in whatever sadness his emotional conscious could muster, and muttered to himself.  _There’s light in this place but I feel a dark void somewhere. It’s too lonely and too quiet and Petra should be here. Petra Ral was my own personal haven. If she’s not here, then where am I?_ Auruo didn’t know how to answer that question. If he wasn’t in some heaven, then where was he? What was he doing here? Was he between life and death? Had he actually managed to survive and was he being revived right now? Impossible. That thought was impossible. He felt like a ghost and he knew he looked like one too, and as he stood up again, he saw something in the distance behind a field of trees, a figure, who was waving right at him. 

The figure in the distance raised it’s hand, it was just a tiny blur of a person, but Petra followed it anyways. Her feet glided against the floor, bare and clean, and she realized the closer she got to the figure the further it seemed to be. It’s shape in the distance grew smaller and hidden in a cloud of mist but Petra didn’t dare stop. She had a feeling she would meet or see something that would make this place feel less empty and more complete. A surge of hope, she hadn’t known she’d lost, rushed to the surface and even while the figure faded in the background she continued to walk until her limbs were nothing but rubber. Petra persevered and her steps were no longer slow and steady but fast and determined. The faster her feet glided against the earthen floor the more the shape from afar disappeared. It took her some time to take in her surroundings,  _new surroundings_ , she thought to herself. But there was nothing new about them, because when she turned back around she saw the wooden porch of her old home. She’d been running in circles the entire time and the figure, who’s arm still waved at her with determination, was way beyond her reach. 

It was weird, they both thought. Although they were so close to each other, in the same fort and in the same area, they couldn’t reach other. It was as if the fates, whomever they might be, didn’t want the two lingering ghosts to meet, whether it be reality or the goddamn afterlife. It frustrated Auruo, for he knew that he was being toyed with. He was stuck in a sick game and it only angered him even more. Whatever delusions they fed the world about the afterlife and it’s many wonders, failed to mention the biggest faults it had. Auruo never bought the “you-will-see-a-light” crap, even as a child it went straight through his head, because what light greeted you when your life was over? The only light he seemed to want was Petra, and she was way beyond his reach.  _Maybe she survived?_ He thought. But he scolded himself for thinking hopefully. Petra was probably dead, but maybe she wasn’t alone, and maybe she was surrounded with the rest of the special ops. Perhaps, Auruo thought, he was the only one alone here. And as he looked up to stare at the trees he saw the blurry figure again, still waving at him. Auruo suddenly grew tired, he’d run to the figure for so long only to be brought back to his original position. So he lay back and closed his eyes and wondered if ghosts could dream or fall asleep.

***

It turned out the sky’s color never changed and the scenery stayed the same. There was a still blue sky above both their heads with clouds that looked like plumes of smoke. What had once been an empty white void, remained an empty white void, and time never ticked or tock-ed. Day and night was non-existent and so was slumber, neither one of the two could sleep, as much as they wanted to, it was a route that they could not cross. And as they both lay down on their separate porches, staring at the sky, they still glimpsed at the figure, who hadn’t changed it’s position once.

***

The moments flew by and Petra didn’t know if she had spent 10 minutes lying down on her old porch or if she’d spent 10 years trying to decipher any possible and logical way to get an inch closer to the figure that seemed so far from her reach. She concluded that she was tethered to this wooden porch and her old house, although she didn’t know why. Her childhood consisted of her trying to escape her house in any possible way she could and she’d trained for years to be the best she could be in the special ops, in Levi’s squad.  _Levi._ The name echoed in the stale air. She tried not to think about him too much, about his feelings, his emotions, his expressions. Petra was never in love with the Corporal but as she thought about him even more she realized she was attached to the short but tough man. He was all alone now, she thought, and it hit her like a ton of bricks. She might be alone in a world she didn’t know but he was alone in the real world. He would be fighting without a squad and killing with even more anger than he already had before.  _At least he has Eren to keep him company,_ Petra told herself. As immature as the boy was, he would keep Levi company while he tried to live his life without the special ops by his side. Petra was exhausted in every sense of the word. Her brain felt like an engine constantly thinking and working and in a world where sleep didn’t exist, she wondered how it was even possible to think for so long without your head threatening to explode. She finally convinced herself to think a little harder and she managed to finally get up. Her house looked exactly the same but something tugged at her fluffy insides. There was something missing, something that was staring her straight in the face but it was like her mind was being blocked. There was something absent on her previous home and she didn’t have the slightest clue what it was.

Auruo stared at his home, his arms weak at his sides and his brain churning the last of it’s energy to think, but there seemed to be nothing unusual about the house he had once lived in. Other than the scenery that surrounded it, which was completely off by the way, everything was exactly how it used to be. The windows were translucent so the sun never fully entered the house and the wood that bordered the porch was still in the same poor state as it was before and the paint covering the outer walls of the house was chipped. Exactly how Auruo remembered it. Something punched him in the gut, the same feeling he’d felt moments ago, or was it days ago? A nostalgic nausea that stole all his senses as he stared intently at his home. Images and scenes flashed through his head, of the times he’d spent in his home, the times he’d visited his parents after a mission, failed or not. He could still see their gleaming proud faces as they waited for him on the porch, his mom on the rocking chair, his dad standing in the doorway. They were always proud to see him come home, always relieved too, to find out that their son was still alive and well. He would’ve been covered in titan’s blood mingled with his own but the mere fact that he was walking this earth was enough for them. And it finally dawned on Auruo, his parents wouldn’t have a door to welcome anyone to, they would have to wake up and remember that their son was no longer alive. It hurt too much to even think about it, about how much his parents might be hurting, but he willed for this aching feeling to fade and it did. His common sense came back and it was then that he finally realized that something  _was_ wrong with his old house. An important piece had been erased and he didn’t know what it was. 

_The door was gone. It was like it had been ripped out of it’s custom position and was thoroughly hidden in the pockets of this strange world. The door hadn’t disappeared, it was still where it was supposed to be, yet the purpose of the door was strong and both Auruo and Petra needed to figure out what they needed so badly enough for it to show up._ Company. _That was the thing they both wanted the most. And as they spent long days and hours and infinite moments with no specific timings trying to figure out the last piece of their messed up puzzle, the word echoed in their mind._ Company. 

Both doors appeared on their houses. While Petra was reluctant to turn the doorknob, Auruo rushed towards it and turned it without hesitation. As Petra’s feet stepped closer and closer to the door a million thoughts rushed through her head.  _What was behind that door? Would the figure in the distance be there? Would_ anyone  _be there? Or would I just find an empty house that looks identical to the one I left behind?_ But there was no room for contemplation, only action, so when she turned the doorknob with hesitant fingers she walked into a place that was way beyond her imagination. It was a large room, the biggest she’d ever seen, with pure white walls and no windows to the outside. On the wall hung extravagant paintings and if she looked close enough they were paintings of people she knew, people she wanted to see; there was a painting of the special ops. Levi was standing in the middle, a strange smug smile on his face, Gunter stood languidly on the left side with Eld’s arm around his shoulder, their mouths were open as if they were laughing. Auruo was standing next to Levi, his eyes unfocused and staring at a tiny woman next to him; Petra. Petra looked different, she looked radiant and joyful and happy. Petra walked closer to the painting and her eyes flitted to Auruo, he was staring at Petra with an affection she hadn’t known was existent. It took Petra a while to notice that she wasn’t alone, in fact she hadn’t even realized that the actual Auruo stood a few feet away, until he cleared his throat.

Auruo couldn’t help but stare, not wanting to take another step but reveling in the shape and form of Petra Ral. She stood to the side, admiring a portrait of the special ops, her eyes dancing across all their faces. He thought she was an illusion, a figment of his afterlife imagination, his ghost-like mind playing tricks with him. But she was there and she was real. Her features were all but the same, her hair was hanging swiftly on her shoulders, moving back and forth as if she were surrounded by a soft wind. Petra’s face shined, at least it did to him, and it had the effervescent glow that was always evident. She was always a tiny woman but she held herself stronger than any of the men Auruo trained with. He could still see her killing titans in her 3D maneuver gear except she wasn’t wearing the 3DMG here. Instead she was put into a light beige sleeping gown that clung to her every feature. Auruo waited, he wanted Petra to see him herself, but his patience was wearing thin and he cleared his throat as loud as he could.

_He looks different…?_ Petra couldn’t help but think. Auruo still looked the same but instead of a permanent smirk on his face there was a sad smile filled with affection. Affection directed at her. He looked tired, as if he could ever be tired in this wretched place, but he still managed to look exhausted. His shoulders were sagging in relief and Petra soon found herself running, running towards him with every force she could muster. Her arms wrapped tightly around his muscled body, she put every emotion into that hug, and she sobbed silently in his chest. It was the first of many tears she managed to summon. She was crying with the relief that she’d finally found someone, and that someone had been Auruo, who was always her company when she felt alone. Auruo planted a kiss on the top of Petra’s head, it sent small tingles down her spine, and a shiver through her body. She detached herself from him and took in his every feature. The smile was no longer sad, but incredibly delighted. 

“Someone’s happy to see me,” Petra said, breaking the silence that she’d been surrounding herself in.

“I’m always happy to see you Petra, even when we’re not alive,” he said.

 

“So we’re actually dead, aren’t we? That goddamn Female Titan… If it wasn’t for her we’d still be fighting alongside Levi. We’d still be living our lives.”

 

“Levi…” Auruo breathed out, as if he’d forgotten the face of his Corporal. “He’s all alone now, isn’t he?”

Petra was close to tears, “We didn’t even get to say goodbye… W-we left him all alone in that awful place.” 

“He has Eren,” Auruo said, mirroring Petra’s earlier thoughts. “And I know the Corporal. He has a soft spot for that boy, even with us not being there, he could still protect him. Let’s not think about that right now Petra. Please.”

“Yes, definitely, you’re right. I’ve been alone in this forsaken place for God knows how long. Who knew being dead would make us so lonely?” 

“The good thing is I found you… I finally found you Petra. I died with this pit of rage inside of me. The last thing I remember is me slashing my blade as hard as I could on the Female Titan after seeing your shattered b-body,” Auruo choked, his memories getting the better of him. He cleared his throat and continued, “And then I woke up here and I was all alone. I never had the time to tell you how much you mean to me.”

“You mean a lot to me too Auruo,” Petra breathed out, but she misunderstood his words.

“No that’s not what I meant… I’ve always loved you Petra, even in this sorry excuse for an afterlife my feelings are still strong and present. There’s no room for romance or confessions in that doomed world. I didn’t even expect to tell you here, when we’re not even  _alive_ ,” he laughed, a sound that had no humor in it.

“Damn you Auruo Bossard. How many times do I have to tell you that you probably bit your tongue for so long that all I’m hearing is absolute crap. Of course I know what you mean. Of course I love you. Of course this is a bad time to finally acknowledge it but who cares? We’re already dead.” 

Auruo felt the knot that had formed in his stomach, loosen, and he planted a kiss on Petra’s soft lips before she could say anything else. The kiss was a mixture of pleasure and passion but there was a pain behind it, a hint of sadness that the both of them couldn’t help but feel. It would take them a while to get used to this place, to the eternal company of themselves and of course the obvious absence of the entire squad. They didn’t dare say it out loud, but they felt incomplete, but in the arms of each other they could only stare at the painting of the special ops and keep their thoughts to themselves.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave comments and such I hope you liked it~


End file.
